Snow White!

As of late, the girls have taken to putting on small dance performances for Pat and I after dinner. While the grown-ups linger at the table the kiddos make a beeline for the dress up closet, soon emerging having completed the transformation into prima ballerinas, fairies and princesses. No choreographing is required, as what ever poses Devi strikes, Treya soon invariably will copy, giving the illusion that a true plan is in place. Typically, Treya loses interest in the dance after a time and retires to the play kitchen located directly behind the dining table to offer Pat and I wooden refreshments as Devi continues to flit about to whatever music may be playing at the time. Naturally, we clap wildly at the end and Pat even throws in one of those high pitched whistles for emphasis.

Squeals of delight abounded from both of them, one evening when I announced during their performance that daddy and I felt they had earned tickets to Pacific Northwest Ballet Schools performance of Snow White. (once again, compliments of my good friend DiAnna). Not yet able to sit through a rented movie, I’ll admit I was a bit concerned about Treya’s attention span or ability to be quiet when appropriate, but figured we had to give her a chance sometime and since this performance was intended for kids, we may as well give it a go.

Treya doing daddy's nails

Spa night was declared the evening before the show, complete with the soaking of little feet in special buckets, the painting of both finger and toe nails and foam rollers to sleep on, to give the ringlet look. It was great fun with even daddy joining in the pampering. Once their services were complete the girls pretended to give Pat and I the royal treatment as well. Devi brushing my dear feet to near raw with a brush and pumice stone, and Treya painstaking pretending to delicately apply polish to daddy’s knobby toes, while sternly telling him to be still.

The finished ringlet product

Met with the excitement of our veteran, Devi and the complete and utter confusion of Treya, DiAnna paraded the girls like royalty backstage at Benaroya hall, showing them the Snow White sets. Watching the rigger adjusting the lights on long ropes, seeing the glittery poison apple poised in the basket, sitting in the queen’s throne and actually laying down and pretending to sleep in Snow White’s bed had the girls grinning from ear to ear.

Devi laying in Snow White's bed

Treya sitting in the queen's throne

Di Anna and the girls at the dwarf's cottage

Surveying our middle-of-the-row seats and devising the best exit plan, should one be necessary, we settled into position with a parent flanking each of our star struck girls sitting atop the extra seat cushions added for height provided by DiAnna. She thinks of everything, including spoiling these children further rotten with gift bags to open while we waiting for the show to start containing Snow White polly pocket dolls and signed posters from Snow White herself!

Up to this point, I think Treya, though going with the flow, was completely dumbfounded. But as the lights began to dim, she crossed her feet at the ankles outstretched in front of her and reaching over, laced her tiny fingers through mine, pulling my giant hand into her lap. Her mouth began to gap open as the spotlights caught the twinkle of the enormous glittery red velvet curtain and prelude music began. I vividly remember this same moment with Devi witnessing her first live performance, and once again I became all emotional. Something about sharing something that Pat and I love with our girls and witnessing their love of it too, gets me all misty.

In the darkness, I could make out the sheen of their ebony hair reflecting the stage light and the bright whites of both girls’ eyes leaning left than right, craning their necks to follow the flittery footsteps of the dwarfs as they Hi-Ho-ed their way about the stage. They were captivated. Soon thereafter, with so much predictability, Devi abandoned her own seat to find daddy’s lap so they could further whisper the details of what was going on. It was obvious, that the audience had disappeared for Treya – in her mind, she had become the only one there, watching intently and losing her breath the moment Snow White took the stage.

Only once did Trey lean over and politely ask in a whisper, “Movie over, momma?” but she settled right back in when I explained just a few more minutes. As the curtain fell, both girls clapped heartily, me breathing a sigh of relief that we did not have to upset the people on either side of us to make a quick exit. The performance was delightful on all counts, very enjoyable and a real treat for the whole family.

Onto the final leg of our family day out, we strapped ourselves, all dressed up and hungry, into the car and headed toward the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner, all the way reminiscing about the performance. Devi liked the wicked witch because her costume was purple and her crown was sparkly. Treya liked Snow White and the Prince. As we drove, Pat mentioned to me that Devi was not her usual animated self, describing her as even being quiet. Soon thereafter, she announced, “I’m hot”, which after the India trip, we now know is the precursor to being sick. Sure enough, as we pulled into the restaurant parking lot she did get sick and immediately began to cry, giving reason for a sudden change in plans. Piecing the story together, she awoke from nap time not feeling well, but didn’t tell anyone as we dressed to leave for the ballet, because she didn’t want to have to miss it. Poor baby held it together all that time thinking we would all be mad at her if we had to stay home. Thankfully, it was nothing serious, no fever and no lasting effects. She immediately started feeling better and by the time we got home,was able to down some dinner and was no worse the wear.

Tucking the kids into bed that night, I asked Treya if she liked the ballet. Reaching up with her little hands on either side of my face, she pulled me in close and whispered, “Go again, momma, go again!”